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Circle of Thorns
Overview The Circle of Thorns are a villain group in City of Heroes and City of Villains. In City of Heroes, the Circle is a powerful group that a hero will likely encounter during almost their entire career, and they are present in force in City of Villains as well. Background Circle of Thorns official info ( Copied from the City of Heroes official website http://www.cityofheroes.com/gameinfo/villain_groups_cot.html) In the 1890’s, upper class England found itself amid a tremendous upsurge of interest in the occult. Most of these dilettantes were more interested in the carnal aspects of ritual magic than in any kind of true arcane knowledge. There were, however, a few exceptions…among them the Baron Zoria. The charismatic Zoria came to England in 1890, allegedly from Russia, and quickly developed a reputation as a fanatic, outré, and decidedly unpleasant figure. Despite (or perhaps because of) this reputation, the Baron managed to acquire a small circle of devotees. Zoria’s burgeoning cult focused most of its energies on searching for signs of the long lost city of Oranbega. Although most people believe the mythic city was “invented” by Girolamo da Verrazano in his 1529 map of his brother’s explorations, Zoria believed the ancient underground city to be a real place. Apparently he was right. Moreover, he was more right than he ever imagined in his wildest dreams. Zoria claimed that Oranbega had sunk beneath the earth tens of thousands of years ago during a war between the Sorcerer Kings of Oranbega and the Warlords of Mu. Zoria felt that if he could unlock the key to entering this lost city, untold powers would be his to control. Rather than mounting archeological expeditions or combing through dusty archives, Zoria chose a more direct approach. He set about contacting the spirits of the dead Oranbegan Sorcerer Kings. Apparently he was successful, for in a ceremony on the winter’s solstice of 1898, the Circle of Thorns was born. Zoria and each of his followers took a strange thorn, given to Zoria by the Oranbegan spirits. They simultaneously drove the bizarre spines into their chests, sinking them straight into their own hearts. The wounds closed as quickly as they had opened, sealing the enchanted thorns deep in their bodies and imbuing each with unique magical powers beyond anything they had ever possessed. For the next year, the cult reveled in its newfound power. They indulged every whim and quickly established themselves at the top of Europe’s secretive mystic underground. Dozens, then hundreds flocked to them, desirous of tapping into the same energies that they seemed to have mastered. Their meteoric rise drew scorn and derision from other, more established groups like the Golden Dawn and O.T.O. Aliester Crowley himself decried them as charlatans and fools. It also attracted the attention of Christian and secular groups that feared the magicians’ negative influence over the good and decent folk of Europe. Several nations passed laws banning the Circle from practicing its beliefs within their borders. Zoria and his followers seemed largely unconcerned. They were already planning their next move. In 1914, as war broke out on the continent, the Circle of Thorns left en masse for the United States. Varrazano’s original map had located an entrance to Oranbega on the east coast of North America. Although later copies of the map showed the city in New England, Zoria believed this to be a deception. His own communion with the spirits pinpointed the location as being beneath the burgeoning metropolis that we know today as Paragon City. Throughout the next six years the Circle of Thorns disappeared from view. Many in Europe thought that some no doubt well-deserved occult disaster had befallen them. In fact, Zoria and his core membership were busy searching for a physical entrance to Oranbega. To hear them tell it, they were successful. All of a sudden, the Circle re-emerged, this time with a decidedly public face. They formed a private but well-known gentlemen’s club that became one the most notorious speakeasies of the Prohibition era. The Roaring ‘20’s were a golden time for the Circle of Thorns. The hedonists of the Jazz Age embraced Zoria’s dark and dangerous reputation and the Circle went on a barely concealed black magic spree. They performed human sacrifices, summoned demons, and magically manipulated events with impunity. Their mystical divinations prepared them for the coming Great Depression and the Circle and its members lived out hard economic times in relative luxury. What they didn’t divine was the rise of the masked crime fighter in American society. In 1933, when children from poor neighborhoods started disappearing from their homes in the middle of the night, police and heroes alike were entirely baffled. There were no signs of forced entry, no clues at all. It wasn’t until the new hero known as The Dream Doctor started on the case that the true nature of the Circle of Thorns became public knowledge. A master of sorcery himself, the Dream Doctor recognized the hand of black magic in the kidnappings and traced the mystic trail back to the private club used by the Circle for its meetings. At midnight on the anniversary of the Circle’s founding, The Dream Doctor burst in upon the foul cultists just as they prepared to sacrifice the poor children. As preternatural night engulfed the ritual chamber, the hero moved among them, his mystic blasts and spirit allies smashing through the cultists and freeing the children before Baron Zoria and his cronies knew what had happened. While the Circle’s highest-ranking members escaped, The Dream Doctor managed to capture most of the rest of the cult and bring them to justice. That night in 1933 was the end of the Circle of Thorn’s existence as a public organization. Baron Zoria and his followers literally fled into the underground, allegedly taking up quarters in the dank and dangerous ruins of Oranbega. Their first order of business was taking vengeance upon the man who had ruined them: The Dream Doctor. Knowing full well what would happen to him, the Doctor gathered about him a group of civic-minded magicians, occultists, and scholars to help protect the city against future threats from the Circle of Thorns. He called this group the Midnight Squad, and the organization persists to this day as one of the premiere superhero organizations in Paragon City. Over the next few decades, the Circle of Thorns and the Midnight Squad continued to skirmish back and forth. Unfortunately, since only the Circle knew how to enter the lost city of Oranbega, they always had a safe and secure base to retreat in when matters grew desperate. Try as they might, the Midnight Squad could not crack the mystery of the sunken city. By the 1990’s the Circle of Thorns seemed to have dwindled to a mere shadow of its former might. Except for the occasional museum theft or kidnapped antiquarian, the villains seldom seemed to rise from their chthonic chambers. What no one could have expected is that it would be an alien invasion that both opened the way to Oranbega and simultaneously reinvigorated the Circle of Thorns. During the Rikti War, the extra-dimensional attackers used the subway tunnels and other underground chambers as bases of operation. They excavated more rooms as they needed them, using a variation on their portal technology. Apparently, the magical runes and protection spells hiding Oranbega from the rest of the world had no effect on technology from another dimension. The Rikti had accidentally discovered the vast underground lair of the Circle of Thorns. Although most of the city’s heroes are loathe to admit it, this unintended revelation may well have played a key role in turning the tide of the Rikti War. The Circle, long dormant, was not nearly as dead as many had imagined. The aliens found themselves not only fighting super powered heroes on the surface, but magic wielding, demon summoning fanatics down below. The now quite aged Baron Zoria himself led the charge at the head of his elite Thorn Wielders against the aliens, pushing them out of Oranbega and the surrounding caves. No paper ever reported the Circle of Thorns’ role, nor did any of the hero organizations acknowledge the existence of Oranbega. Indeed, few of them knew for certain what exactly had happened to the Rikti underground. Nevertheless, after the war, rumors told of ancient, gold encrusted ruins beneath the streets of Paragon City. Fortune hunters, amateur archeologists, and even some heroes went down into the depths in search of fame and fortune. As might be predicted, none of them returned. At least, none of them returned as they were when they went down. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. With their impenetrable magic cloak destroyed by the Rikti, the Circle of Thorns knew it was only a matter of time before the Midnight Squad or some other noisome hero group would get curious and start causing trouble. And so Baron Zoria and his followers decided to take a more proactive approach in their own defense. They began with those initial explorers, capturing the trespassers and then supplanting their souls with the long-dead spirits of the original Oranbegans. When folks learned better than to go looking in dark caves for lost cities, the Circle of Thorns began to more actively “recruit” new members. They sent expeditions to the surface to snatch more innocents for Oranbegan supplantation. In the meantime…they sought new -- if less effective -- ways, to hide their secret city from interlopers. Today the Circle of Thorns has swelled in membership because of their press gang practices. Now, for the first time in decades, Baron Zoria’s ambition seems to be stirring. With the city in such a chaotic state, the Midnight Squad believes that The Circle is preparing to make a play for real power in the surface world. Robe-clad cult members have been seen on the surface in several locations. Strange new social clubs and cults have popped up in many neighborhoods, espousing beliefs very similar to those of the Circle, and many of these have turned overnight from simple spiritual movements to murderous cabals. Now the Midnight Squad is busy trying to put a stop to this burgeoning occult threat, but the more problems they encounter in Paragon City, the harder it is to find time to search out entrances to lost Oranbega. Which is, no doubt, just as Baron Zoria intends…¨ Villain Types Minions Human Followers Archer Many who have lost hope go looking in dark places for the answers to life's questions. The Followers are those whose search has taken them to the Circle of Thorns. Now they must prove their true devotion by serving the Circle's evil will. (Levels 22 and below) Powers Defender Many who have lost hope go looking in dark places for the answers to life's questions. The Followers are those whose search has taken them to the Circle of Thorns. Now they must prove their true devotion by serving the Circle's evil will. (Levels 23 and above) Powers Guard Many who have lost hope go looking in dark places for the answers to life's questions. The Followers are those whose search has taken them to the Circle of Thorns. Now they must prove their true devotion by serving the Circle's evil will. Powers Guardian Many who have lost hope go looking in dark places for the answers to life's questions. The Followers are those whose search has taken them to the Circle of Thorns. Now they must prove their true devotion by serving the Circle's evil will. Powers Guide Many who have lost hope go looking in dark places for the answers to life's questions. The Followers are those whose search has taken them to the Circle of Thorns. Now they must prove their true devotion by serving the Circle's evil will. Powers Thorn Wielder The mighty Thorn Wielders are the elite guardians of the Circle of Thorns. They wield the sacred Thorn Blades, enchanted weapons that leave a taint of foul magic on anyone they strike. Powers Possessed Scientist (Air) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Thorn Casters, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Earth) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Thorn Casters, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Fire) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Thorn Casters, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Ice) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Thorn Casters, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Thorn Caster (Air) Air casters can harness the winds to give themselves the power of flight. They can also conjure up meteorological menaces from lightning bolts to snow storms. Powers Thorn Caster (Earth) The Earth Caster's mastery over stone and sand makes them quite valuable in the underground city that the Circle of Thorns inhabits. But they can use their magic for more than digging tunnels and reparing walls. Under their control, the very ground beneath a hero's feet can become a deadly weapon. Powers Thorn Caster (Fire) Weaving magical effects from fire can be dangerous for the novice mage, but Fire Casters have perfected the art. They can conjure up fires to immolate or distract their enemies, and some can even draw on their foes´body heat to restore their own power Powers Thorn Caster (Ice) The frigid magics of the Ice Casters take careful study to master. In the hands of these mages, ice becomes a deadly weapon, either shredding enemies with jagged blasts or freezing them in place and chilling them to their bones. Powers Spirits Spectral Daemon The Circle's sunken city of Oranbega is rumored to be filled with the ancient ghosts of its original inhabitants. Some of these spirits become malevolent Specters, angry and incorporeal beings immune to physical attacks but capable of causing tremendous damage to living beings. Levels: 24+ Powers Spectral Follower The Circle's sunken city of Oranbega is rumored to be filled with the ancient ghosts of it's original inhabitants. Some of these spirits become malevolent Specters, angry and incorporeal beings immune to physical attacks but capable of causing tremendous damage to living beings. Levels: 18-'' ''Powers Spectral Knight The Circle's sunken city of Oranbega is rumored to be filled with the ancient ghosts of it's original inhabitants. Some of these spirits become malevolent Specters, angry and incorporeal beings immune to physical attacks but capable of causing tremendous damage to living beings. Levels: 19-23 Powers Nerva Spectral Daemon Where go the Circle of Thorns go the legions of Hell. These gibbering monstrosities seem to be waiting for... something. Powers Demons Hordeling Lasher From the nightmares of Hell's sinners come these disgusting creatures, nightmares born of fire, brimstone, and hate. Powers Behemoth Summoned from the hellish pit of some other dimension, the Behemoths are fiery demons that inspire nightmares in all who see them. They can summon flaming swords to strike down their enemies, or breath fire from their mouths to incinerate all who stand before them. Powers Thorn Tree Vine The vines of the Thorn tree can move and strike, cutting down those who would hurt its body. What's more, the main body of the tree cannot be attacked until all of the vines have been destroyed. Powers Lieutenants Human Followers Energy Mage Within their fabled lost city, the High Mages of Energy provide light, heat, and energy for their brethren. In battle they unleash their power in blasts of utter destruction, capable of ripping apart flesh, stone, and steel. Powers Force Mage The High Mages of Force deal with the primal forces that move the universe. In their sunken city they are responsible for preventing cave ins by siphoning off the Earth´s seismic energy into useful pursuits. In battle, they can sap the very strength from a foe´s limb and add it to their own. Powers Life Mage Magical mastery over life can be a powerful tool for good, but in the hands of the Life Mages it is a deadly weapon. They can suck the very life force out of their foes, weakening and eventually killing them. Powers Soul Mage The High Mages of the Soul delve into the deepest reaches of the human spirit. They are largely responsible for the gathering and training of specters and other spirits. When forced into combat, they petrify their foes in a wave of inescapable self-contemplation that leaves them incapable of any action. Powers Possessed Scientist (Dark) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Circle mages, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Earth) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Circle mages, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Gravity) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Circle mages, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Possessed Scientist (Psychic) The Circle of Thorns has possessed descendants of Mu for centuries, and has no intention of stopping. Recently, they have begun possessing non-descendants for investigational purposes. When they discovered Portal Corporation's research, they began to possess employees to find a way to break their deal with their demonic brood. The Possessed Scientist have the same powers of Circle mages, and are not afraid to use them. Powers Spirits Nerva Spectral Daemon Lord Where go the Circle of Thorns go the legions of Hell. These gibbering monstrosities seem to be waiting for... something. Powers Spectral Daemon Lord The Circle's sunken city is rumored to be filled with the ancient ghosts of its original inhabitants. Some of these spirits become malevolent Specters, angry and incorporeal beings immune to physical attacks but capable of causing tremendous damage to living beings Powers Demons Hordeling Berserker From the nightmares of Hell´s sinners come these disgusting creatures, nightmares born out of fire, brimstone and hate. Powers Hordeling Hurler From the nightmares of Hell´s sinners come these disgusting creatures, nightmares born out of fire, brimstone and hate. Powers Behemoth Master Summoned from the hellish pit of some other dimension, the Behemoths are fiery demons that inspire nightmares in all who see them. They can summon flaming swords to strike down their enemies, or breath fire from their mouths to incinerate all who stand before them. Powers Behemoth Overlord The Behemoth Overlords are fortunately very rare. Likewise they are very deadly. Their mastery of fire allows them to immolate multiple foes simultaneously, and they can quickly heal their own wounds by basking in the heat of their infernal fire. Powers Bosses Human Followers Agony Mage There is no greater distraction than pain and suffering. The Masters of Agony often help relieve their friends of such distractions in times of peace. But when it comes to battle, they are adept at harming their foes through powerful and disruptive enchantments. Powers Death Mage The most powerful of all the Circle´s mages, the Masters of Death are lords of the afterlife. They help to wrangle and control the Behemoths and other beasts the Circle summons, but their most fearsome power is the ability to create a pervasive zone of death that sucks the life out of any foes in the vecinity. Powers Dark Pit Disorient You have been disoriented within the Dark Pit. Madness Mage The Masters of Madness can control every aspect of the psyche. For their friends, they provide a constant aura of mental fortitude that helps them in all endeavors. In battle, their enemies suffer complete mental domination that leaves them incapable of any actions at all. Powers Ruin Mage In ancient times, the Masters of Ruin could level whole cities with their powerful earthquaque magic. Today these masters of mayhem are still deadly foes, capable of summoning localized tremors that cause great devastation in a short time. Powers Demons Behemoth Lord Summoned from the hellish pit of some other dimension, the Behemoths are fiery demons that inspire nightmares in all who see them. They can summon flaming swords to strike down their enemies, or breath fire from their mouths to incinerate all who stand before them. Powers Behemoth Overlord The Behemoth Overlords are -fortunately- very rare. Likewise they are very deadly. Their mastery of fire allows them to immolate multiple foes simultaneously, and they can quickly heal their own wounds by basking in the heat of their infernal fire. Powers Hellfrost The deepest bowels of the Pit births these monstrosities. Beware their Infernal Blades, for it is said they tear far more than just flesh. Some claim bits of their victims souls are shorn away as well. Powers Succubus Not every horror that emerges from the Inferno is hideous-at least on the outside. The Succubi appears as voluptuous women to lure foolish mortals to a long and painful doom. Powers Archvillains Archus Main Article: Archus Despite your efforts, Archus has nearly completed his psychic network using the shards of Serafina's crystal. Stop him, or you could wind up as his pawn forever! Powers Baphomet Main Article: Baphomet The Baphomet is the oldest and most feared of the Behemoth Lords. The ground beneath its cloven feet burns with its own infernal fire. Powers Envoy of Shadows Main Article: Envoy of Shadows Unbound and unnamed, it has crossed the gulf of worlds on a bridge of greed and pain. The Envoy of Shadows is the ambassador of the Prince of Demons, here to offer the Circle of Thorns great power and dark alliances. Its consuming flames and cloak of darkness are manifestations of its endless evil. Powers Lilitu Main Article: Lilitu The She-Devil ruled some a plane of Hell before being called forth by the Circle of Thorns. The sorcerers struck a deal with her, and Lilitu has come to earth with her infernal hordes. It is said the price for her service is the death of 666 heroes - including her own son, Infernal. Powers Thorn Tree Main Article Thorn Tree A demon-tree of the netherworld, the Circle of Thorns use the Thorn Tree to siphon energy from an ancient fortress of the Mu. Unlike a normal plant, the Thorn Tree has it's own defenses, and cannot even be damaged until the vines defending it have been cleared away. Powers Giant Monsters Caleb Main Article: Caleb The legendary Caleb. You'd thought he was just a rumor - a tale told to frighten children by cruel parents. Yet, here he is, brimming with infernal power and reeking of brimstone from the darkest depths of Hell. Objects Portal (boss) The Circle of Thorns have opened this portal to another realm. Who knows what will come through. It must be destroyed! Powers Magical Barrier (boss) Main Article: Magical Barrier This magical barrier stands between you and freedom. Powers Crystal (n. a.) Crystal of Health These Green Crystals seem to resonate with a strange power. Powers Crystal of Vitality These Blue Crystals seem to resonate with a strange power. Powers Crystal Of Pain These Red Crystals seem to resonate with a strange power. Powers Named Bosses * Aceotes (Death Mage) * Akarist (Agony Mage) * Aldegeron (Ruin Mage) * Alejas (Ruin Mage) * Arales (Agony Mage) * Arch-Mage of Agony (Agony Mage) (Found on Take the Malleus Mundi from the Circle in the Shadow Shard mission from Scirocco) * Arch-Mage of Death (Death Mage) (Found on Take the Malleus Mundi from the Circle in the Shadow Shard mission from Scirocco) * Arch-Mage of Madness (Madness Mage) (Found on Take the Malleus Mundi from the Circle in the Shadow Shard mission from Scirocco) * Arch-Mage of Ruin (Ruin Mage) (Found on Take the Malleus Mundi from the Circle in the Shadow Shard mission from Scirocco) * Arista (Madness Mage) * Attack Leader Zurabsal (Ruin Mage) (Found on Find Reason behind Circle Attack mission during the Virgil Tarikoss Strike Force.) * Circle Defense Leader (Death Mage) (Found on Recover Ancient Mu Soul Crystal mission from Magus Mu'Drakhan) * Clemalion (Succubus) * Councilman Hicks (Death Mage) * Darsis (Agony Mage) * Darksis (Agony Mage) * Death Mage Librarian (Death Mage) * Dilamis (Ruin Mage) (CoV) * Dimas (Ruin Mage) * Dr. Archos (Agony Mage) * Drejak (Madness Mage) * Dretch * Domi (Agony Mage, Death Mage, Succubus) * Envoy of Shadow (Death Mage) * Faculus (Death Mage) * Galan (Agony Mage, Behemoth Overlord) * Ganult (Soul Mage) * Guardian Hazbek (Energy Mage) * Guardian of Flame (Behemoth Overlord) * "Henry Meyers" (Madness Mage) * Karn (Agony Mage) * Karthist (Death Mage), Found on Disrupt Circle plans mission from Hardcase * Laramis * Leonard Skyes (Ruin Mage) (CoV) * Librarian (Fire Thorn Caster, Agony Mage) * Librarian Engrat (Death Mage), Found on Interrogate a Circle Sorcerer mission from Johnny Sonata * Librarian Hazthri (Ruin Mage) (Found on Prevent Circle from Controlling Bat'Zul mission during the Virgil Tarikoss Strike Force.) * Librarian Mnemcanthraxus (Death Mage) * Lucion (Madness Mage) * Lysus (Madness Mage) * Mesanis (Hellfrost) * Metaris (Madness Mage) * Modesa (Succubus) * Movian (Ruin Mage) * Negotiator Rantusik (Death Mage) * Nomaris (Agony Mage) (CoV) * Orestes (Agony Mage or Ruin Mage or Behemoth Overlord) (CoV) * Orket (Soul Mage) * Pallenti (Madness Mage) * Paralis (Succubus, Hellfrost) * Pharason (Madness Mage, Death Mage) (CoV) * Polentes (Agony Mage) * Portas (Ruin Mage) * Regalion (Succubus, Hellfrost) * Researcher Aeoch (Madness Mage) * Rollister (Madness Mage) * Romulus (Soul Mage or Agony Mage) * Salizek the Guardian (Death Mage) * Spell Breaker Hanuzeth (Agony Mage) * Tarses (Madness Mage) * Tarsis (Agony Mage) * Terramis (Madness Mage) (CoV) * Terrigol (Madness Mage, First mission from Scratch) * The Inquisitor (Death Mage) * The Librarian (Death Mage, Capture the Circle Librarian and learn what you can from him from Magus Mu'Drakhan) * The Talon of Flame (Behemoth Master) * Thorn Keeper (Fire Thorn Caster) * Tomefinder Arhazen (Soul Mage) * Tutor Solinar (Agony Mage) * Tyoss (Death Mage) * Tyrkis (Agony Mage) * Veratzu (Behemoth Master, Death Mage) * Zenarusk (Fire Thorn Caster) Category:Enemies